Realist
by MoonStarDutchess
Summary: On a long drive back to East City, Roy learns a bit more about his precious Lieutenant. Royai Oneshot for Royai Day


**Realist**

**Author: MoonStarDutchess**

**Oneshot for Royai Day **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and gain no profit whatsoever from this fanfiction other than writing practice. **

**AN: I started writing this with a specific plot in mind and suddenly it turned into something different. I'll do another one with my original idea since it was cute. For now, here is a sort of serious oneshot. Not nearly as fluffy as my other stuff.  
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**Realist**

Roy leaned his head back against the headrest of his seat as they began driving out of Central. He had to get back east as quickly as possible and a car was the only way to do so. A terrorist attack made on the railways had delayed the trains for about a week. Now, he and Riza had a three-day journey back to East Headquarters via automobile. Of course, it was only that long because both of them needed to stop and sleep somewhere. Riza would need rest so that she could drive safely. Exchanging the driving duties with Hawkeye every few hours wouldn't be an option since he, though he loathed admitting it, would end up getting lost.

He raised his head and stared over at his lieutenant, studying her face for a moment. It was completely neutral of any expression whatsoever as she focused on her driving with that expertise and discipline that she used in everything else she did. She even displayed it at the funeral they'd gone to Central for and he appreciated that calm steady presence beside him through it all. He'd felt her hand brush his as Elecia cried for her dad and as tears flowed down Gracia's face and she held the little girl as tight as she could without hurting her. That gesture wordlessly told him that she was there and would help him in any possible way she could.

He needed her with him for the rest of his life. If she hadn't gone to Central with him, he would have probably ended up drunk and passed out in a ditch somewhere. She made sure he ate properly and took care of himself. Maes always told him that he needed a wife, little did he know that he had one, he was only lacking the certificate and the ring. The love, the respect, the longing to spend the rest of his life with a woman, was already present in his body.

He rested his head back once again, and closed his eyes. As the sun's rays hit through the windshield, he put down the sun visor and rested his arm on top of his eyes.

"How are you feeling, Sir?" she questioned as she reached up and lowered her own sun visor before putting her hand back on the steering wheel in its proper place.

"As well as I could be considering life fucked me over yet again," he said, not really meaning his sentence to sound as harsh as it had. He couldn't help letting a bit of bitterness sink into his tone. He lost his best friend because he wasn't there for him. He didn't protect those under him as he was supposed to do. He should have known something was wrong.

"It has a habit of doing that to people like us," Riza commented, not taking her eyes off the road. Roy lowered his arms and lifted his head to look at her. He sat up straight not taking his gaze off of her full a full minute.

"Something wrong, Sir? Why are you staring at me?"

"I wasn't expecting a response like that," he said. "I was expecting something like you telling me that's not true, or I'm just imagining things, or things will get better."

"I'm not that optimistic," she stated. "I've never been."

"Not even when I said that I wanted to change things? You didn't have any optimism there?"

Riza smiled softly at the memory. "I wanted to be, but I don't think optimism is something I can ever have. Of course, I believe you can change things or I wouldn't be here, but I am never fully optimistic because there's always the unseen factor. If I get rid of most of my optimism, I won't be disappointed if it doesn't work out. I won't be surprised."

"I never knew that about you," he said. "I can see your point."

"No you can't," she said, "Because, even after all of this, I see that optimism that you will change the country one day. I don't see a pessimistic outlook in you at all, though you believe it exists in you."

"And do you consider yourself a pessimist?"

"I'm a realist," she said. "I take things as they come. I have so much faith in you sir, but I'm not going to have optimistic thoughts when I could be disappointed."

Roy grinned at her. "This is the most we've talked in a long while. It feels good. We never get to talk much when we are at work. I remember when we were kids we would stay up all night and chat even though it annoyed your father to no end to find us camped out in the living room under a blanket fort. And regardless of punishment we'd only end up doing it again," he said.

Riza smiled softly. "I only did it again since you were there," she replied. "If I'd done that on my own I probably would have given up the playing right away. I never played before you came along."

Roy's eyes widened. "Never?"

"Never. My father used to be my best playmate, but when my mother died it all stopped. I had to grow up quicker than I should have. Ishbal did the same thing to me," she said.

"How long were you in Ishbal before I came along?" he questioned, knowing the snipers were sent out before the alchemists.

She tensed up. "Do you really have to ask that?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a tense topic for you."

"The first year, it was a year, sir, was the worst I'd seen."

"You don't seem to let it get to you," he said. "You seem so strong."

"I push it back, don't talk about it, don't dwell. It's the only way I can function. I let my goals overshadow it."

"That can't be good for you in the long run," he said.

"I don't think I'll have a long run," she replied.

"Pessimist?" he questioned again.

"No, realist."

Roy scooted closer to her and took one of her hands off the wheel, intertwining his fingers with hers and bringing her hand to his lips, kissing it gently. "You'll have a long run. I swear it."

"Optimist?" she questioned, a slight smile gracing her lips.

"No, realist."

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**AN: Hope you liked it. Reviews are huggled and much loved. I stick them all in a little box and treasure them. LOL **


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